A task manager is an application included with an operating system that allows the user to see processes currently running on a computer. The task manager may display information regarding running applications, including hidden programs that run on startup, and utilities. For example, the task manager included with Microsoft Windows™ displays detailed information in a task list regarding programs currently running on the computer. Running applications are displayed under an Applications tab and running processes are displayed under a Processes tab. The task manager may also display computer resource information such as CPU usage, memory information, network activity and logged-in users. The Applications tab also displays the status of each running application, e.g., running or not responding.
The task manager may also allow the user to take action respect to the running processes, such as to kill a running process or to create a new process. For example, while in the Applications tab, right-clicking any of the applications in the list provides the user with options to switch to that application, end the application, and show the process on the Processes tab that is associated with the application. Choosing the “End Task” option from the Applications tab causes a request to be sent to the application for it to terminate.
While in the Processes tab, right-clicking a process in the list provides the user with options to change the process's priority, set which CPU(s) the process can execute on, and end the process. Choosing to the “End Process” option causes Windows to kill the process. Choosing the “End Process Tree” option causes Windows to kill the process, as well as all processes started by that process.
While conventional task managers allow users to monitor concurrently running processes, conventional task managers do not enable the user to also monitor user initiated events associated with the running applications, which once initiated run in the background. Examples of such user-initiated events or tasks include save and copy, for instance. In addition, conventional task managers typically display running processes in table format and do not provide a rich visual experience for the user to easily monitor running process and to modify the running processes.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved event processing visualization application.